About Cognitive FX
Cognitive FX is a neuroimaging-guided brain rehabilitation clinic in Provo, Utah that treats persistent post-concussion symptoms, lingering symptoms after a TIA or viral illness, POTS, and treatment-resistant depression for people who have not recovered with standard care.
Founded in 2014 by neuroscientist Dr. Mark Allen, clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Alina Fong, and neurosurgeon Dr. Lynn Gaufin, the clinic uses a functional MRI protocol called fNCI to measure how the brain is working, then builds an intensive, one-week treatment program around what the scan shows.
What Cognitive FX does
fNCI functional brain imaging
Functional NeuroCognitive Imaging (fNCI) is an fMRI protocol developed by Cognitive FX's founders that measures brain activity in 56 regions while the patient performs standardized cognitive tasks. Standard MRI and CT show brain structure, which is often normal after a concussion. fNCI shows which regions are working harder or less efficiently than a healthy reference group, and a repeat scan after treatment measures the change. How the fNCI scan works
EPIC Treatment for post-concussion syndrome
EPIC Treatment is a five-day program, six to eight hours a day, that combines neuromuscular, cognitive, occupational, neurointegration, sensory, and psychological therapy in one building. Each patient's schedule is built from their fNCI results, and a second scan at the end of the week compares brain function before and after. A two-week version is available for complex or long-standing cases. About EPIC Treatment
fMRI-guided TMS for depression
Cognitive FX offers accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) using intermittent theta-burst stimulation, with the stimulation target chosen from the patient's own fMRI scan rather than from scalp measurements alone. The five-day program delivers the full course in one week instead of daily visits over roughly six weeks. About fMRI-guided TMS
POTS and dysautonomia program
A five-day program for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome that pairs an autonomic assessment with multidisciplinary therapy and a take-home maintenance plan. It is designed for patients whose POTS followed a concussion, viral illness, or other trigger and who have not improved with medication alone. About the POTS program
Lingering symptoms after a TIA or viral illness
The same scan-guided approach is used for people with cognitive, fatigue, or sensory symptoms that persist after a transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke), Long COVID, or other viral brain injury. TIA program · Post-viral program
What makes Cognitive FX different
Treatment is planned from a functional brain scan
Most concussion care is planned from symptom checklists and structural imaging, which usually comes back normal. Cognitive FX scans every EPIC patient with fNCI before and after treatment, so therapy targets the specific regions that tested abnormal and the result is measured, not only self-reported.
A week of intensive care instead of months of appointments
Typical outpatient rehab means one or two sessions a week with separate providers across town. EPIC Treatment delivers 35+ hours of direct therapy in five days with all disciplines on one team, which matters for patients who travel: more than 70% of Cognitive FX patients come from outside Utah.
Outcomes published by an independent research team
A 2024 study by researchers at Amsterdam UMC and UMC Groningen, published in Tijdschrift voor Neuropsychologie, followed patients treated at Cognitive FX. Six months after treatment, 77% had a clinically meaningful reduction in symptoms. It was an observational study without a control group. Read our research
Imaging, analysis, and treatment under one roof
Cognitive FX's founders began developing clinical fMRI in 2005, and the clinic controls its own imaging analysis software. That is what makes it possible to use a patient's fMRI to choose a TMS target, or to rescan at the end of a treatment week, without sending data to an outside lab.
Published cash prices
Cognitive FX lists its prices publicly: a standalone fMRI scan is $1,500, the POTS program is $4,500, the five-day TMS program is $9,900, and one week of EPIC Treatment is $13,000. The clinic does not bill insurance directly, and CareCredit and HSA/FSA funds are accepted. Full pricing
Who Cognitive FX treats
- Adults with post-concussion symptoms lasting three months or longer, including patients who have been struggling for years after multiple concussions
- Children and teens with persistent concussion symptoms, and their parents: Cognitive FX treats patients as young as 10
- Veterans and athletes with a history of repeated head impacts
- Adults with treatment-resistant depression who have tried medication without enough relief
- People with POTS or dysautonomia, often following a concussion or viral illness
- Adults with lingering cognitive or fatigue symptoms after a TIA, Long COVID, or other viral illness
- Patients who travel for care: people come from across the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and the rest of the EU, Australia, and New Zealand
The team behind Cognitive FX
Dr. Allen and Dr. Fong began researching clinical uses of fMRI in 2005, building a normative database of healthy brains and adapting neuropsychological tests to run inside the scanner. When their scans kept showing measurable differences in concussed brains, they started testing treatment protocols and found they could change brain function in weeks rather than months. With Dr. Lynn Gaufin, they opened Cognitive FX in Provo and treated the first EPIC patients in September 2014. Our research history
Dr. Mark D. Allen, PhD
Co-founder, Neuroscientist
PhD in Cognitive Science from Johns Hopkins University, with postdoctoral training in functional neuroimaging at the University of Washington. He developed the fNCI protocol and the neurovascular coupling model that underpins EPIC Treatment.
Dr. Alina K. Fong, PhD
Co-founder, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Clinical Director
Completed her PhD internship at the VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System, working with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. She leads clinical care and has presented Cognitive FX research to groups including PINK Concussions and the NFL Players Association.
Dr. Lynn M. Gaufin, MD
Co-founder, Director of Neurosurgery
Graduate of the University of Utah and Cornell University medical school. He served as an Army surgeon before completing his neurosurgical residency at UCLA.
The clinical team
26 clinicians in one Provo clinic
Patients work with a diagnostic radiologist, clinical psychologists, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, registered nurses, neuro-occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and neuromuscular therapists. Fourteen of them work on each EPIC case.
How Cognitive FX works
- Patient paperwork (about 10 minutes). An online intake covers your injury history and MRI safety, and tells us whether treatment is likely to be a good fit.
- Free video consultation. You meet with a Neuroscience Practitioner to review your case, then with a logistics specialist who covers scheduling, travel, and cost.
- Confirm your week. Your treatment week is held for five business days. A deposit and signed cancellation policy confirm it.
- Prepare. You receive preparation guidance (sleep, exercise, records to send) and travel help, including a discounted rate at a nearby hotel with a clinic shuttle.
- Treatment week. Arrive Monday for your first fNCI scan, then about eight hours a day of therapy. A final scan at the end of the week is reviewed with you.
- Aftercare. You leave with a personalized home program, and EPIC patients receive four online follow-up visits over the next three months.
Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time. Call +1 385-375-8590 or email info@cognitivefxusa.com. The clinic is 45 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and about 15 minutes from Provo Airport (PVU). Travel information
Key facts about Cognitive FX
| Company name | Cognitive FX (also written CFX; legal name Cognitive FX USA) |
|---|---|
| Type | Private outpatient neurological rehabilitation clinic (medical organization) |
| Founded | 2014; first patients treated September 2014 |
| Founders | Dr. Mark D. Allen, PhD; Dr. Alina K. Fong, PhD; Dr. Lynn M. Gaufin, MD |
| Headquarters | 280 W River Park Drive, Suite 110, Provo, Utah 84604, USA |
| Website | cognitivefxusa.com |
| Clinical team | 26 clinicians |
| Ages treated | 10 and older |
| Core offering | Functional MRI (fNCI) guided intensive treatment for persistent post-concussion symptoms |
| Programs | EPIC Treatment (1 or 2 weeks), fNCI brain scan, fMRI-guided TMS for depression, POTS program, TIA and post-viral programs |
| Pricing | fMRI scan $1,500; POTS program $4,500; TMS $3,000 (1 day) or $9,900 (5 days); EPIC 1 week $13,000; EPIC 2 weeks $24,700 |
| Insurance | Self-pay; does not bill insurance directly. CareCredit and HSA/FSA accepted. |
| Treatment format | In person in Provo; 5 days, 6 to 8 hours per day; consultations by video |
| Imaging | fNCI: task-based fMRI measuring activity in 56 brain regions, repeated after treatment |
| Independent outcome data | van Doorn et al., Tijdschrift voor Neuropsychologie, 2024 (Amsterdam UMC and UMC Groningen): 77% of patients had a clinically meaningful symptom reduction at 6 months |
| Research | Peer-reviewed publications since 2008 on clinical fMRI, concussion biomarkers, and neurovascular coupling |
| Patient origin | More than 70% travel from outside Utah, including from Canada, Mexico, the UK, Ireland, the EU, Australia, and New Zealand |
| Contact | +1 385-375-8590 · info@cognitivefxusa.com · Mon to Fri, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT |
| Social | YouTube · Facebook · Instagram |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cognitive FX legitimate?
Cognitive FX is a licensed outpatient clinic in Provo, Utah, founded in 2014 by two PhD researchers and a neurosurgeon. Its treatment outcomes have been studied by an independent team at Amsterdam UMC and UMC Groningen, and its founders have published peer-reviewed research on clinical fMRI since 2008.
Does Cognitive FX take insurance?
No. Cognitive FX is self-pay and does not bill insurance directly. Patients can use CareCredit financing and HSA or FSA funds.
How long is treatment at Cognitive FX?
EPIC Treatment is five consecutive weekdays, six to eight hours a day. Complex cases may be recommended for a two-week program, and the TMS program is five days.
Do I have to live in Utah?
No. More than 70% of patients travel from outside Utah, including from other countries. Consultations happen by video, and the clinic helps with lodging and airport transport.
What is the difference between an fNCI scan and a regular MRI?
A regular MRI shows the brain's structure and is usually normal after a concussion. fNCI is a functional MRI taken while you complete cognitive tasks, and it shows how 56 brain regions are working compared with healthy brains.
What results can I expect?
In the independent 2024 study, 77% of patients had a clinically meaningful reduction in symptoms six months after treatment, and some patients did not improve. Your consultation is where the team tells you honestly whether they think treatment is likely to help you.
How do I get started?
Complete the patient paperwork, which takes about 10 minutes. If treatment looks like a fit, you will book a free video consultation.